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12/19/2025, 5:25:48 PM
A representative of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) pleads for the security of sailors, as the confrontation between Russia and Ukraine intensifies.
As attacks in the Black Sea escalate, endangering sailors and the environment, the head of the UN's IMO has urged Russia and Ukraine to cease targeting civilian mariners and trade ships.
Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez condemned the strike on a Turkish-flagged vessel carrying sunflower oil by a Russian drone in international waters, marking another attack on commercial shipping that has resulted in rising war insurance rates.
The Turkish ship Viva, carrying eleven crew members, was attacked by Russia on December 13 when it was passing through Ukraine's exclusive economic zone on its way to Egypt. The ship proceeded to its destination with no casualties.
Moreover, the attack occurred the day after Russian troops attacked two Ukrainian ports, causing damage to three Turkish-owned ships and starting a massive fire on one of them.
Additionally, Ukraine has intensified its attacks on Russian shadow fleet tankers that are thought to be eluding Western sanctions. Three tankers—Kairos, Virat, and Dashan—were attacked by Ukrainian sea drones between late November and early December in what Kyiv claims is an effort to sabotage Moscow's oil deliveries.
Maritime Law Courses in the UK provide strategies for preventing civilian ship attacks as per the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) guidance and university programmes. London Maritime Academy (LMA) offers practical training, academic courses, and industry recommendations focused on layered defence, operational tactics, and international frameworks.
Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, has responded by threatening to “cut Ukraine off from the sea” and attack tankers from nations that back Ukraine.
Notably, Ukraine claimed to have disabled a Russian submarine carrying Kalibr cruise missiles at Novorossiysk on December 15 using underwater drones. Ukrainian officials referred to this attack as a “turning point” in naval warfare. Russia denied any harm.
More importantly, emphasising that civilian crews are not combatants and should never be targeted, the International Transport Workers' Federation denounced the attacks.
According to Mark Dickinson, vice chair of the ITF Seafarers' Section, “seafarers are not a weapon of war.” “No political or military objective justifies endangering civilian crews.”
Six countries, including NATO members Bulgaria, Romania, and Turkey, share the Black Sea, a vital trade route for grain, oil, and petroleum products.
As the fighting spreads into commercial maritime lines, war risk insurance prices for Black Sea excursions have skyrocketed.
Eventually, Dominguez stressed his commitment to supporting negotiations to maintain safe international shipping amid escalating tensions in the Black Sea. He urged all parties to avoid targeting innocent seafarers and shipping assets, highlighting that shipping should not be collateral in geopolitical conflicts and warning of rising environmental risks.
